Barton praises Newcastle fans

Published Sep. 7, 2011 3:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

Barton left the Magpies for Loftus Road last month and - in a quirk of fate - is in line to make his Rangers debut against his former club on Monday night. He told QPR's official website: "The fans were brilliant at Newcastle. "In my last couple of seasons there, they've supported the football club through thick and thin. I'll always have a relationship with them. "We had a journey with them - not just me but a number of players in the squad, when the club dropped out of the Premier League. "That could have been a difficult and turbulent time in the club's history but we regrouped as a playing staff and decided that we'd dig deep and not only get the club back to the Premier League, but to stabilise it quite comfortably last season. "What's gone is gone. I'm never going to say a bad word about the football club or the fans. I wish them every success."